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From The Editor
Next Week’s MODEX Will be All About Partnerships
I’ll be in Atlanta next week for the MODEX 2022 event, which focuses on supply chain, warehouse and other material handling solutions that help get products from Point A to Point B. With COVID disrupting the last two years in the supply chain (as well as live tradesheow events), it’s expected that next week’s show will focus heavily on automation solutions that help get products to customers quicker. One of the key themes I’m expecting to see is how many robot companies are partnering up – either with other robot companies to provide integrated offerings (see this week’s news on Berkshire Grey and Swisslog), or deployment projects (like Addverb and Numina). It has become clear that robot companies can’t go it alone to solve many of these challenges – they need key partners, integrators and dedicated customers to fully succeed to handle today’s supply chain challenges. If you are going to MODEX and see me running around the show floor, feel free to say hello or give me a high five!
– Keith Shaw, Managing Editor |
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Toshiba Launches Palm-sized Unit to Push Lidar Range to 300m
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Toshiba Corporation has announced a new laser projector unit for its lidar, shrinking the size of the unit by 25% from its previous version, released in June 2021. The new unit is just 206 cubic cm in volume, and can fit in the palm of the hand. The range has been pushed to 300m, with an image resolution of 1,200 by 84 pixels. Toshiba said it can be configured with flexible combinations of projector units to handle several long-range and wide-angle detection applications. The new lidar will advance progress in the company’s focus application areas, such as autonomous driving and infrastructure monitoring, but also opens the way to exploring partnerships in robotics, drones, and small security devices. |
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ADLINK Launches NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX-based AI Vision System
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ADLINK Technology today has launched its four-channel Gigabit Ethernet NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX-based Edge AI Vision Inference System. The EOS-JNX series features smart Power over Ethernet (PoE) and PoE loss detection, dedicated GigE bandwidth, and 100m GigE cable non-drop frame capture, designed for PoE camera-based applications. The system is designed for edge AI applications that can process real-time visual intelligence at the edge with ready-to-deploy software tools and outstanding hardware design. The lineup of the EOS-JNX series now includes the EOS-JNX-I and EOS-JNX-G models supporting Onvif and GigE protocols. The EOS-JNX-I can be integrated into existing surveillance systems with an embedded uplink port that enables edge AI safety capabilities with minimal change and investment. |
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Sponsored Content
Oriental Motors New Brushless Motors for Battery-Powered Applications
The new BLV Series R motors are designed for battery-powered input type applications, such as automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots and conveyors suited for brushless performance. The motors have higher resolution Hall sensors that allow for increased motor feedback, improved stopping accuracy and lower speed operation. The motor and driver are capable of longer operations from a battery and support Modbus or CANopen communications. Read More. |
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Intuition Robotics Commercializes ElliQ Companion Care Robot
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Intuition Robotics has announced the official commercial launch of its digital care companion, ElliQ, which is now available for purchase here. The ElliQ robot is a sidekick for healthier, happier aging, accompanying “older adults on their journey to age independently while motivating them to live healthier lives.” Developed with more than five years of research and beta testing with older adults, and designed in collaboration with industrial designer Yves Béhar and the fuseproject studio, ElliQ is a proactive and empathetic care companion. |
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Geek+, Bosch Extend Partnership, Deploy Advanced Mobile Robot
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Geek+, which develops autonomous mobile robots, and Bosch Rexroth, which develops drive and control technology, have announced a strategic channel agreement for North America. THe partnership also helped develop a unique version of Geek+’s MP1000R mobile robot, augmented with laser localization software ROKIT Locator by Bosch Rexroth. The partnership aims to develop new technologies and deploy them to clients in North America. |
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Green Cubes Launches Battery Chargers for Material Handling Equipment
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Green Cubes Technology has announced its Lithium SAFEFlex Chargers to complement its Lithium SAFEFlex Batteries, designed to simplify the electrification of material handling equipment. The new chargers are offered in 15 kW and 30 kW models, with each model supporting up to three simultaneous charging ports and the ability to perform voltage auto-detect for each of the charging ports. The SAFEFlex chargers include high-frequency battery charging technology for the most compact and efficient designs, as well as the widest voltage range available on the market. |
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Numina, Addverb Technologies Partner to Expand Warehouse Automation
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Automation solutions provider Addverb Technologies has announced a partnership with warehouse automation software developer and systems integrator Numina Group in North America. The agreement expands the deployment of Addverb’s mobile robots for automation solutions to North American warehouses and provides Numina’s customers access to technology applications for smarter and faster warehouse order fulfillment automation. Numina said it will start with Addverb’s Dynamo series of robots, which work collaboratively with human order pickers to increase efficiency. |
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In Case You Missed It
Toyota Ventures Seeking Startups for Factory of the Future Initiative
Toyota Ventures has launched its third global “call for innovation,” searching for early-stage companies that can help make the factory of the future a reality sooner. In partnership with Toyota’s Manufacturing Project Innovation Center (MPIC) and the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), the 2022 call focuses on scalable solutions that can modernize manufacturing and advance sustainable production. Interested entrepreneurs and companies can apply to the call through May 31, 2022, for an opportunity to receive between $500,000 and $2 million in venture capital funding from Toyota Ventures. Read More |
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Featured Article
Chipotle Tests Chippy, an AI Kitchen Assistant
Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced its latest digital innovation, Chippy, an autonomous kitchen assistant that integrates “culinary traditions with artificial intelligence” to make tortilla chips. The system utilizes Miso Robotics to customize its latest solution to cook and freshly season Chipotle’s tortilla chips. “We are always exploring opportunities to enhance our employee and guest experience,” said Curt Garner, chief technology officer at Chipotle. “Our goal is to drive efficiencies through collaborative robotics that will enable Chipotle’s crew members to focus on other tasks in the restaurant.” Chipotle’s culinary team guided Miso in tailoring its technology to maintain the culinary integrity of the brand, Chipotle said. Leveraging AI, Chippi is trained to replicate Chipotle’s exact recipe – using corn masa flour, water and sunflower oil – to cook the chips, season with a dusting of salt, and finish with a hint of fresh lime juice. Chipotle said it was imperative that the technique remained the same so customers receive “delicious, craveable chips every time.” Read More |
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Industry News
- Berkshire Grey, Swisslog Partner on AI-Enabled Robotics for Warehouse Operations
Berkshire Grey has announced a partnership with Swisslog to provide robotic solutions for grocery, e-grocery, e-commerce and retail customers to meet the demands of connected consumers while managing widespread labor shortages. Initially, the partnership will focus on the American market. The two companies aim to provide AI-enabled robotics solutions to global enterprises looking to master the challenge of real-time order fulfillment through automation. As part of the partnership, Swisslog will become part of Berkshire Grey’s Partner Alliance program as a strategic systems integrator partner, providing customers with scalable robotic solutions developed to improve fulfillment throughput while driving down operational costs.
- SICK Launches Safe Object Detection for Packaging, Conveying Systems
SICK has launched its deTec4 Smart Box Detection access protection system, which allows secondary packaging machines in the end-of-line area, top and side loaders, or sorter and ejector modules to be operated in a safe and user-friendly manner. With the help of a reliable pattern detection logic, Smart Box Detection can safely differentiate rectangular objects, such as boxes, from people and body parts in the inlet and outlet zones of packaging machines or logistics conveying systems, SICK said. This lets boxes be transported continuously without any stops into and out of fenced-in machines.
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Sponsored Content
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Industry News
- Caja Robotics, Ranpak Partner for Order Fulfillment Robots
Caja Robotics, which develops goods-to-person solutions for order fulfillment, has announced a partnership with Ranpak, a global provider of paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains. The companies will produce a broader solution that optimizes fulfillment processes when e-commerce orders are placed and received, to packing and shipping when the order is ready, combining depalletization, picking and packing tasks.
- Homebuilder teams with Diamond Age to Build 72 Robot-Printed Homes
Century Communities, a national homebuilder, has teamed up with robotics company Diamond Age to build 72 homes in the Phoenix metropolitan area as part of the Century Complete Brand. The agreement kicks off the first time Century Communities will use 3D printing to construct new homes, as well as the first on-site commercial deployment for Diamond Age. Diamond Age’s 3D printing and robotics technology has a goal to reduce manual labor and construction cycle times, while providing an enhanced focus on safety and quality. The first home will begin construction in Spring of 2022 and will look nearly identical to conventional wood-framed houses. View Video
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Industry News
Skyline Robotics Raises $6.5M for High-Rise Window-Cleaning Robot
Skyline Robotics, which develops the Ozmo high-rise window-cleaning robot, has announced raising $6.5 million in a pre-Series A funding round. The funding comes as the company prepares for its first customer deployment of Ozmo in New York City. The funding will be used to expand its New York team, as well as continued product development and new capabilities “to own the facade operations of the future." The company said it has raised $9 million to date. Read More |
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Universal Robots to Demonstrate Piece-Picking, Mixed-Case Palletizing at MODEX
Universal Robots announced several demonstrations and events it plans to showcase at next week’s MODEX 2022 event in Atlanta, including how collaborative robots (aka cobots) can help warehouses with piece-picking and mixed-case palletizing tasks for operations that are continuing to struggle with labor shortages. Along with RightHand Robotics, Universal’s UR5e cobot powers the RightPick 3 robot system, which offers system integrators and warehouse operators an item-handling solution for use with AutoStore, AS/RS systems and other standard material handling automation. The company will demonstrate the system at the RightHand Robotics booth. Read More |
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Sponsored Content
Miniature Bearings Support Heavier Robotics Loads and Provide Precise Linear Motion
IKO offers some of the smallest miniature bearings commercially available. The ML miniature bearings can perform under higher loads and provide precise linear motion for medical robotics and automation. Read More. |
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Robotics News
RightHand Robotics Launches Partner Integrator Program
RightHand Robotics, which develops autonomous robotic picking solutions for order fulfillment, has announced its Partner Integrator Program to create an ecosystem for robotic piece-picking projects with complementary warehouse technologies. Element Logic, which partners with AutoStore and is one of Europe’s leading intralogistics companies, has joined the program as its charter member. The partner program aims to make it easier for customers to adopt robotic piece-picking by working with their preferred automation suppliers. “The Partner Integrator program aligns business goals of system integrators, OEM technology providers, certified robot integrator partners, and other related sales alliance members,” said Paul Eyre, director of global channels at RightHand Robotics. Read More |
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Halodi Robotics to Deploy 140 Humanoid Security Robots for ADT Commercial
Halodi Robotics has announced signing an agreement to provide 140 humanoid robots to ADT Commercial, a U.S.-based provider of commercial security, fire, life safety and risk consulting services. The announcement is the result of an April 2021 partnership where Halodi secured an investment from ADT Commercial to develop a robot to complement the company’s physical security solutions. With multiple customer pilot programs already in progress to test and improve the robot’s capabilities, ADT Commercial said it will begin making the robot available to its enterprise customers in late 2022. Read More |
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